News

“SNUBBED: A Basketball Season of Triumph, Crisis and Despair at St. Bonaventure University,” written by veteran journalist Brian Toolan, is the latest release from the No Frills Buffalo publishing company.

Toolan is a veteran journalist who worked for 43 years as a reporter and a ranking editor in the newspaper industry. Positions he has held include sports editor and managing editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, business editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, editor and senior vice president of the Hartford Courant and national editor of the Associated Press. He was editor of the Courant when it won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of a murderous rampage at the headquarters of the Connecticut Lottery. Toolan also directed coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings and the Minneapolis bridge collapse while at the Associated Press. He currently resides in New Hope, Pa.

Daemen College formally opened a new section of campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Nov. 22 to celebrate the completion of a footbridge that connects with the original part of campus grounds.

Set in an attractive wooded area on the south end of Daemen’s campus, the approximately 30-foot bridge is accessible from a recently installed parking lot located by Alumni House, which opened this fall for the Division of Institutional Advancement, and the college’s Honors House. The bridge spans a small culvert and leads to a walking path behind Schenck Hall.

“This new bridge connects our newest facilities with the rest of campus and both symbolically and physically bridges the new and older parts of our beautiful and growing campus," said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. "It signals a new era for Daemen College.”

Mary Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School, located at 170 Rosewood Terrace in Cheektowaga, is accepting resumes for substitute teacher positions at all grade levels, from Universal Pre-K through Grade 8.

Requirements include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, New York State Certification and completion of student teaching. Applicants must possess the ability to work collaboratively with others, along with good time management and organizational skills. Individual must be flexible and able to communicate with school staff.

This is a per diem position that pays $10 per hour. You must be available during school hours, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

When South Buffalo residents Tyler and Alicia Uebelhoer decided to open Buffalo Solar Solutions in the Summer of 2015, they poured their personal savings into the business venture and dedicated themselves to providing customers with the best possible service and a pressure-free sales approach. While it took a tremendous amount of effort — not to mention a lot of blood, sweat and tears — to get the business off the ground, the entire Western New York community is beginning to see the benefits.

Now going on two years old, the company no longer operates out of the Uebelhoer’s home. Showing steady growth every month, the employees of Buffalo Solar Solutions have worked out of their new office at 1212 Abbott Road, Suite A, since October.

“For No Good Reason,” a novel from decorated combat veteran Steve Banko, is the latest release from No Frills Buffalo publishing.

Banko served 16 months in combat in Vietnam where he was wounded six times. His awards for heroism included the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest decoration for valor, and four Purple Hearts. He has spent more than two decades as a speechwriter and professional communicator and has also spoken to audiences across the country on the issues of war and peace. His nonfiction work has been included in several anthologies and periodicals. “For No Good Reason” is his first novel.

Banko’s speech focusing on post-traumatic stress among combat veterans received the Grand Prize Award from the Cicero Foundation for the best speech of 2010. He currently resides with his wife, Shirley, in South Buffalo and North Ft. Myers, Fla.

The Rural Outreach Center (ROC) in East Aurora hopes to spread some holiday spirit this Christmas season by asking local individuals, families, businesses and organizations to “adopt” a deserving family and help make their holidays a little brighter.

“This Christmas season we anticipate assisting 12 to 15 families who are actively pursuing their goals toward self-sufficiency,” said ROC Executive Director Frank Cerny. “Those receiving gifts this holiday season will be asked to make a contribution of some sort back to their community as part of the empowerment process. Virtually all participants in the program readily agree to do this as they too want to help others in some way. We call it the ‘pay-it-forward’ portion of the program.”

Daemen College has received an unprecedented $1 million gift from the Paul A. Saffrin Foundation to support the institution’s Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement, making it the largest private gift in the college’s nearly 70-year history.

In honor of this historic gift to the college, the center has officially been renamed the Paul A. Saffrin Center for Sustainability and Civic Engagement.

“Robust civic engagement contributes to many positive social outcomes, so it is my honor and privilege to support Daemen College as it prepares students to acquire the knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make a difference in society,” said Saffrin.